An Alabama man has been charged with detonating an explosive device outside the state attorney general’s office.
In a statement on Wednesday, the justice department announced that authorities had arrested 26-year-old Kyle Benjamin Douglas Calvert of Irondale on charges of malicious use of an explosive and possession of an unregistered destructive device.
On 24 February, an explosive device was detonated outside the office of Steve Marshall in Montgomery. No staff or personnel were injured, Marshall’s office said at the time, and no buildings were damaged.
Following the explosion, agents and troopers with the Alabama law enforcement agency, along with special agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Montgomery police officers responded to the scene, where remnants of the device were discovered.
A detention memo reviewed by NBC said that “the device had the characteristics of an IED [improvised explosive device] and Calvert added a substantial number of nails and other shrapnel to increase its destructive capability”.
It added that authorities found that Calvert had allegedly put stickers on state buildings that advocated “for various political ideologies” on the night of the explosion. Those stickers allegedly involved references to antifa, anti-police and anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement sentiments, NBC reports
According to other court documents reviewed by NBC, authorities used video surveillance to follow Calvert’s movements on the night of the explosion and matched his vehicle to license plate reader information and social media, as well as an analysis of his mannerisms and the explosive device.
If convicted, Calvert faces a mandatory minimum of five years in prison and a maximum penalty of 20 years.
Following the announcement of Calvert’s arrest, Marshall released a statement saying: “My staff and I are breathing a collective sigh of relief this morning knowing that this individual has been taken off the streets.
“Although more information will be provided in the weeks to come, I think it is safe to say that this was not a random act of violence. We are grateful to our federal and local partners for their assistance in this matter and are pleased that the offender faces federal charges carrying significant prison time,” he added.
Marshall has been serving as the state’s attorney general since 2017. A staunch Republican, he has criticised Joe Biden’s border policies, saying: “There is no telling the damage that 100,000 unknown aliens every month will continue to do to our communities.” He has also hailed the supreme court’s 2022 overturning of Roe v Wade, saying: “None of us thought today would come in our lifetimes,” as well as arguing that he could prosecute individuals who help women travel out of state for abortions.
